Memory and Cultural Impact: The Union of European Theatres Festival in Romania

Authors

  • Mirela Sandu-Gheorghiu The Hungarian State Theatre of Cluj-Napoca, Romania Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37130/d4xpp650

Keywords:

UTE – Union des Théâtres de l’Europe/Union of European Theatres, European Union, Bulandra Theatre, The Hungarian State Theatre of Cluj-Napoca, Gábor Tompa

Abstract

This article aims to provide a concise analysis of the trajectory of the Festival of the Union of the Theatres of Europe (UTE Fest) in Romania. The first edition of the festival took place in Bucharest in 1995, organized by the Lucia Sturdza Bulandra Theatre, one of the seven founding members of the Union of the Theatres of Europe. Since then, this prestigious theatrical event returned to Romanian stages in 2008, both in Bucharest and in Cluj-Napoca, through the collaboration between the Bulandra Theatre and the Hungarian State Theatre of Cluj-Napoca. In recent years, the festival has been held exclusively in Cluj-Napoca, in 2019 and 2023, under the patronage of the Hungarian State Theatre of Cluj-Napoca. Through the festival, Romanian audiences have had the opportunity to watch productions directed by prominent figures of European theatre, such as Giorgio Strehler, with The Island of Slaves by Marivaux, staged by Piccolo Teatro di Milano (1995); Lev Dodin, with Gaudeamus, adapted from Serghei Kaledin and produced by Maly Drama Theatre (1995); Declan Donnellan, with Boris Godunov, a production created in collaboration with the International “Golden Mask” Festival in Moscow and the Cheek by Jowl company in London; and Pippo Delbono, with The Lie, a production of the Fondazione del Teatro Stabile di Torino & Teatro di Roma (2008).

Author Biography

  • Mirela Sandu-Gheorghiu, The Hungarian State Theatre of Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Mirela Sandu-Gheorghiu is a cultural manager and a graduate of the I.L. Caragiale National University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest, Department of Theatre Studies. Between 2006 and 2016, she was employed at the Romanian Cultural Institute, where she held the position of Director of Promotion and worked in various departments, including the National Book Centre and the Internal Programmes Division. Among 
    the institutions with which she has collaborated are the Ministry of Culture, the Hungarian State Theatre of Cluj-Napoca, the Bulandra Theatre in Bucharest, and the I.L. Caragiale UNATC Bucharest. In 2019, she joined the Expo Arte Cultural Centre, where she organized events dedicated to independent artists. She was part of the organizing teams of several theatre festivals of national and international importance in Romania, including the National Theatre Festival, the Interferences International Theatre Festival, the Romanian Drama Festival, the International Festival of Classical Theatre, and the New Theatre Festival in Arad.

References

Brockett, O.G., Hildy, F.J. (2013) History of the Theatre. London: Pearson Education Limited.

Union des Théâtres de l’Europe (1995) Catalogul Festivalului Uniunii Teatrelor din Europa, ediția a V-a, 17–26 November 1995.

Union des Théâtres de l’Europe (2020) Catalogul Uniunea Teatrelor din Europa, 30 de ani (1990–2020).

Constantinescu, M. (1995) “Stele pe cerul teatrului”, România literară, no. 49, 10 December.

Coroiu, I. (1995) “Festivalul Uniunii Teatrelor din Europa”, Revista 22, no. 43, 25–30 November.

Knowles, R. (2020) The Routledge Companion to International Theatre Festivals. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Moore, J.P. (2009) Guerilla Theatre: For Faires and Festivals. Stockton: Ion Drive Publishing.

Newbold, Ch., Jordan, J., Kelly, P. (2019) Principles of Festival Management. Oxford: Goodfellow Publishers.

Remshardt, R., Mancewicz, A. (2025) The Routledge Companion to Contemporary Theatre and Performance. Oxfordshire: Taylor&Francis Ltd.

Stancu, N. (1995) “Tradiția Commediei dell’Arte? Vocea morală a teatrului”, Curierul Național, nr. 1408, 21 Octombrie.

Afrim, R. (2008) “Sublim – Minciuna în UTE 2008”, Liternet. Available at: https://agenda.liternet.ro/articol/8062/Radu-Afrim/Sublim-Minciuna-in-UTE-2008.html.

Hutcheon, L. (2006) A Theory of Adaptation. New York: Routledge. Available at: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/ (Accessed: 8 November 2021).

Majkowski, T. Z. (2021) “Master of Disenchantment: How Sapkowski and the Witcher Confound the Critics”, Notes from Poland. Available at: https://notesfrompoland.com/2021/04/08/master-of-disenchantment-how-sapkowski-and-the-witcher-confound-the-critics/ (Accessed: 7 November 2022).

Papp, D. (2009) “Festivalul UTE de la Bucureşti şi Cluj 2008 – o ediţie mamut”, Liternet. Available at: https://agenda.liternet.ro/articol/8366/Doina-Papp/Festivalul-UTE-de-la-Bucuresti-si-Cluj-2008-o-editie-mamut.html (Accessed: 10 November 2024).

Stoica, O. (2008) “CronicUTE: Revolta lirică a cotoiului diform – Minciuna”, Liternet. Available at: https://agenda.liternet.ro/articol/8119/Oana-Stoica/CronicUTE-Revolta-lirica-a-cotoiului-diform-Minciuna.html (Accessed: 4 February 2026).

Union des Théâtres de l’Europe (2023) 20th Edition of the Festival of the Union des Théâtres de l’Europe. Festival in Times of War. Available at: https://www.union-theatres-europe.eu/what-we-do/20th-edition-of-festival-of-union-des-theatres-de-l’europe (Accessed: 15 February 2026).

Piccolo Teatro di Milano (n.d.) Giorgio Strehler. Available at: https://www.piccoloteatro.org/en/pages/giorgio-strehler (Accessed: 12 November 2025).

Downloads

Published

2026-09-02

Issue

Vol. 32 No. 1 (2026): Theatre and Memory/Teatro y Memoria // Film and Theatre Pedagogy

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Sandu-Gheorghiu, M. (2026). Memory and Cultural Impact: The Union of European Theatres Festival in Romania. CONCEPT, 32(1), 193-208. https://doi.org/10.37130/d4xpp650